Life Goes On
by history101
Summary: Post Sozin's Comet. A short story in which Zuko must prove his right to rule to a shadowy group of assassins who threaten his era of peace. With his friends and family beside him he must fight to protect the Fire Nation. Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN AVATAR!
1. Prologue

A.N. Hello people and thank you for choosing my story! Strictly speaking I should be working on a Danny Phantom fic, but I write what my inspiration tells me not the other way round, it just don't work like that. But anyway, I'm only thinking that this will be a few chapters long, maybe 5 at a push, but I wanted to write it anyways. I hope you like it.

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**Life Goes On**

Prologue

Chapter Summary: Two, as yet unnamed men talk in the dark about Ozai, Azula and Zuko. Is treason afoot? Is there trouble ahead? Well I can't tell you yet, can I? Read on and find out instead of looking for spoilers! Sheesh!

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In a dark room made of simple, rotting wood a man sat at a desk, despite the shadows he had a commanding presence and a powerful voice spoke of great power. There was a single candle burning and guttering as the wax rythmically dripped onto the wood. The rain lashed against the walls outside as the man suddenly spoke.

"What news, my young friend?" He had been silent for what could have been hours, the young man couldn't tell, he was nervous just sitting in the same room as his boss. The man had a short fuse and a violent temper, he was well known for his cruelty and blood lust; men and women, young boys or girls, even animals, he didn't care who he hurt, he didn't often distinguish between friend or foe either. But it was better to serve the devil than be in his path.

"Princess Azula is...unreachable, sir," the young voice replied. His face and body was shrouded in the shadows making him impossible to distinguish from the darkness around him.

"Hmm, and Fire Lord Ozai?" the deep, sinister voice demanded.

"Rumour has it he..."

"What?"

"People say he's...powerless, sir," the second man said.

"In what way?"

"The literal way, sir, I don't know how but he seems to be without his bending...if the rumours are true, sir," the younger voice answered warily.

"Interesting. And the exiled Zuko?"

"Is promoting peace, sir," the younger voice sneered.

"Well then, it would be rude of us to to meet the new Fire Lord Zuko with all the proper etiquette and respect of the Koiga Zhīzhū**, **wouldn't it?" the older voice smirked. And as he leaned forwards the flickering light of the single candle slowly illuminated his face. It was old and weathered with a long, angry scar down the right side of his face and another across his nose. His dark hair was thick despite his age and it was left messily to hang over his ears and forehead.

All this created an image of ferocity which was only enhanced by the red glint in his narrow eyes and the deep growl of his voice. The younger man only nodded and fled the room, closing the door quietly behind him, leaving the older man alone as he smiled eerily in the darkness.

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*1 The most famous ninja strongholds were the Iga and Koga Provinces, and yes I know, China didn't have ninjas, but Zhīzhū, is Chinese for spider(s) so I made the group a combination of both, just 'cos I can.

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A.N. Oh...creepy right? Anyway, if anyone has a problem with me combining Japanese and Chinese words to make that name shout at me on a review or something. Other than that I'd appreciate any constructive critisism, or you can postpone it till you've read the first chapter, 'cos I wrote that before I did this so I decided to upload them at the same time. Bye!


	2. Domesticity

**Life Goes On**

Chapter 1: Domesticity

Chapter Summary: A few months after the war Mai and Zuko's new life together continues and the GAang come to visit them at the palace. There's a little shouting, knife throwing, elbowing, face-palming, and mentions of stuck up nobles and of cabbage killing epidemics (in no particular order.)

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Mai was sat at a decorative desk sorting through various accounts of the rebuilding work of the Fire Nation. As Fire Lady in all but name she took on much of the royal work and Zuko more than welcomed the aid. They had to contend with not only the rebuilding of their own nation, but supporting the others nations in their rebuilding as well considering that it was the Fire nation that was responsible for it. Which, of course that that the Fire Nation needed people to work to feed themselves and produce surplus to sell to pay for the war debt.

But that wasn't all, Zuko had to contend with convincing people that the war was truly over, and that he had no designs on conquering the world as his sister, father, grandfather, and great grandfather had. Suffice to say that that job alone was extremely difficult. He had traveled with Mai to the far corners of the four nations to show his support for the rebuilding. He has announced that the colonies were free and people were allowed to travel where ever they wanted to.

There were small rebellion movements to deal with as well, supporters of his father and sister had caused trouble in the Fire Nation but they had been swiftly 'hushed up.' Support for the new peaceful ideals was hard enough to promote without adding reminders of his family's history of oppressive regimes to the mix.

Mai was knee deep in said reports, and sighed as she rubbed her tired eyes with her long, pale fingers. She and Zuko hardly ever got to see each other despite the fact that they both loved in the same palace they were both so busy and he never could find it in him to relax when she was able to see him. He had always been a workaholic.

Suddenly a knock at the door made her jump and her old reflexes had her reaching for her knives. As the doors opened Mai stood swiftly in a fighting stance, disregarding the fact that intruders rarely used...and locked at doors, she held her knives in her fingers with a look of determination.

"M...my lady?" the servant questioned nervously as Mai blinked in confusion. Oh right...no more war...sometimes it was hard to forget that little detail when one had been raised in war time. "The Avatar is here...with...err...General Iroh and..." the girl said quietly and Mai relaxed a little.

"Show them in," she sighed and put away her weapons.

"Hello Mai!" Ty Lee shrieked as she ran into the room. She embraced her friend in a tight hug and wrapped her legs around Mai's waist. Mai stared at her friend and surprised both of them b hugging her back, she'd truly missed her friend the last few weeks.

At the door stood Iroh wearing his earth kingdom robes with the Avatar and his girlfriend Katara, her brother Sokka with Suki, and the blind Toph with Momo on her shoulders. Mai couldn't help but be surprised, she would have thought that Zuko would've told her that their friends were visiting.

"Surprise!" Ty Lee exclaimed and Mai sighed.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" she asked and her friend jumped off her.

"'Cos then it wouldn't be a surprise, silly!" her acrobatic friend replied.

"Zuko probably won't be back for a while, he's in one of his meetings," Mai said as they all sat down on the plush red furniture.

"Now this is living!" Sokka exclaimed as he sank into the soft cushions and took in the expensive surroundings of the room. It was of course elaborate and beautiful, made of rich reds and sparkling golds with one side an open balcony to the sunny kingdom.

"So...why aren't you with him?" Katara asked her, ignoring her brother's comment.

Mai sat back at her desk, "I'd really rather not," she said with a small smile, "Besides, I don't think the officials would appreciate me impaling them to the palace walls." She said dryly.

"Now I'd like to see that!" Suki smiled kindly.

"Wouldn't we all," Mai sighed.

Soon the conversation turned to less murderous topics. Aang spoke of the Northen air temples and the multi-cultural people now living in the old Fire Nation colonies. Iroh spoke of his flourishing tea shop, while Sokka bragged about his space sword and boomerang as the pride of the Southere Water Tribe. They relived the last days of the war which Sokka retold loudly and proudly, and even of the new Fire Lord himself.

The atmosphere was calm and happy until the doors were suddenly flung open mercilessly and an enraged Fire Lord Zuko stormed into the room. He was dressed in full regalia and everyone flinched at the sound of the doors slamming into the walls.

"Agh...that's it!" he shouted, his fists blazing with bright fire, "I quit! No more! I can't take it anymore!" He stormed into the beautiful sitting room without even noticing the group of his friends sitting around on his furniture.

"Aww, did the cooks forget to make the fire flakes the way you like them again?" Mai asked without emotion as she normally did. She heard the group laugh quietly to themselves and she herself smiled.

"Agh!" Zuko growled and tore out his golden headpiece and tossed it onto a sofa. He then ripped out the ribbon tying his hair in its top knot style and ruthlessly shrugged out off the outer robe of his royal attire, letting it fall to the floor. "That's the...I don't know...it's like the 30th time in 2 weeks that I've had to listen to those...stuck up...Tiger-dillo's tell me how to run my country! The way they're going there'll be another hundred year war in the next few days! And it's wonder the Earth kingdom representatives haven't attacked them yet, I know I want to and I'm supposed to be in charge of the nobles! And then there's that...man... he keeps going on and on about his Agni cursed cabbages! Why do the guards keep letting him in here? Why do I need to know about a cabbage killing epidemic..."

"Did he just say cabbage killing epidemic?" Sokka giggled but no one answered him.

"I mean...I thought that the rebuilding of the nation...and restoring the economy would be more important...but No! Every day it's 'we should attack this', 'we should attack that', 'MY CABBAGES!' I can't take it anymore! I quit!"

"That's the 17th time you've said that this week alone, Zuko," Mai responded emotionlessly.

"I mean it this time, Mai," he insisted.

"Uh-huh," she nodded without even looking at him, "I hope you don't expect me to pick those up," she said while pointing at his discarded outer robes. She still didn't take her eyes off the papers on the desk she was reading. "And I'm not gonna be the one to tell everyone that you quit on account of a persistent cabbage merchant," she tried...and failed to prevent a quiet laugh from escaping her lips.

"How can you laugh at this?!" Zuko almost shouted, "It's a real..no...tell me it's not you...please..."

"Not me doing what?" she asked innocently.

"Letting him in here all the time!"

"Why would I do that?" she blinked as she finally turned from the papers to look at him. Zuko had gone red from anger and he was emitting a fiery heat. But she wasn't worried or scared, and he needed to laugh and he needed a distraction.

"I don't know!" he shouted.

"Calm down, Zuko, before you burn the place down, I really don't want to have to stretch the national budget just because you burned down the palace again," she sighed and stood up.

"I never burned down the palace!" he all but screamed in indignation.

"You did singe the edge of the pavilion when we were kids," she smiled and she walked over to him.

"That was one time, and it's still standing," he replied.

"Remember that talk we had about not using fire indoors?" she asked and stated down at his hands which were still flaming. "And using an inside voice?"

"This IS an inside voice!" Zuko shouted and took a deep breath then the flames led down, "And your not exactly helping either, y'know..."

"Excuse me?" Mai blinked and Ty Lee shrunk away to sit beside Iroh quietly.

"Oh boy..." she muttered and Iroh only smiled.

"If you didn't keep letting him inside the palace, I wouldn't have to listen to it every day!" Zuko shouted.

"Well if you loosened up a little bit I wouldn't have to let the guy in all the time..."

"What?!" Zuko interrupted her, but she ignored him and carried on.

"What a show," Sokka muttered as they listen to what had now become a shouting match.

"Don't think I don't hear you laughing after those meetings when he's gone...how else am I supposed to get you out of those things without exploding? I mean I get it...really I do. But half the time I just think you're gonna burst into flames or set the servants on fire if they even look the wrong way..."

"You make sound like Azula," he hissed.

"Don't be so melodramatic," she sighed, "Besides, it annoys those stuck up nobles..."

"It annoys me..." he muttered.

"And it makes you laugh..."

"You...trying to make me laugh...what happened to miss 'grey aura'?" Zuko snapped.

"I told you..." she cried and threw several knives at him, all of which missed his head by a hairs width, "I DON'T BELIEVE IN AURAS!"

"Like hell you don't," he muttered and pulled one of the knives away from the wall which had pinned the sleeve of his shirt to it.

"You're such a dork," she smirked.

"What?! I am not!"

"I called you a dork the first day I met you," Mai remembered.

"...You did not...Hey...you did!" Zuko remembered indignantly.

"I did, and I was right," she said, "Even Ty lee agreed with me that day."

"I don't see how you get off calling the Fire Lord a dork," he muttered.

"I'm the Fire Lady, and you're still a dork."

"Technically your not the Fire Lady..."

"Uh-huh, you wanna be the one to tell my uncle that? What does that make me then...hmmm...I suppose I could be called your consort...how about a mistress...I'm sure he'd love that one. But he might try and reacquaint you with that jail cell you seemed so fond of..."

"...No no...err...Fire Lady's...good..." Zuko muttered.

"I knew you'd see it my way," she smiled.

"How is it that I'm the Fire Lord, and you get to boss me around?"

"Because I'm a woman," she stated simply and he frowned.

"And...that means..." he muttered but she didn't answer his question.

"Would you rather I kicked you out?" Mai said instead.

"'Kick me out?' It's my palace!" he shouted but her glare stopped him from speaking further. Instead he quietly took a step back as the angry lady moved towards him, "I didn't mean that...what I meant was...err...I...oh boy..."

"Your palace, huh?" she repeated.

"I..."

"Your palace..."

"Mai..."

"Whoa..." Zuko ducked as another wave of knives came at him, "Inside voice, Mai, remember?" he said from behind a large pillar now impaled with her knives.

"I'll give you an inside voice, mr 'Its my palace', 'I'm always right' Fire Lord!"

"Uh-oh..."

"If I impale you, will that make it my palace?"

"Not...really...no..." Zuko answered but only just realised that it was the wrong answer when another knife just missed him again, "How is this helping anything..." he muttered.

"Oh, it's helping," she replied simply.

"I...err...don't suppose you ran out of knives now..." when she shook her head he sighed, "I didn't think so."

"I've been sat here all day gong through those Agni damned reports and what's the first thing you say to me...'Oh Mai...I quit...you have a grey aura...it's my palace'...What ever happened to a little 'good morning'..."

"Well I..."

"You need to relax..."

"I need to relax! What about you? You nearly killed me! How does that..." he began but he was silenced as she pulled out another knife and walked towards him. She lead Zuko to an unoccupied sofa and forced him to sit down while she walked to stand behind him.

"I said...relax!" she said and held one of her knives at his throat.

"How exactly is this..."

"Shh..." she said quietly and Zuko swallowed as he went cross eyed at the sharp blade. "Now if you'd been paying attention to anything other than cabbages..."

"Hey, that's not my..." he shouted indignantly.

"...Then you'd notice that we have company," she talked over him.

"That's great, but I'd really appreciate it if you moved the..."

"We. Have. Company." she repeated and stressed every syllable.

"...We do?" he uttered and took his eyes reluctantly off the shining blade at his throat, "Oh...I knew that..."

"Uh-huh..." she nodded and moved her knife then walked to sit beside him, "Dork," she muttered and he frowned.

"Uncle..." Zuko exclaimed as he saw the old man sitting with a smile in the room, he could have sworn he hadn't seen his friends a minute ago, but he had been pretty angry. He'd usually notice things like that, but peace time tended to dull senses honed in war.

"He's not the only one here, y'know," Sokka smirked and Suki elbowed him in this ribs.

"Hi..." Aang waved with a shy smile as Zuko turned to look at him.

"Why didn't you tell me they were coming?" Zuko asked her and Ty Lee sighed again.

"Because she didn't know! It's a surprise! Sheesh, you two are so similar sometimes it's scary," the young acrobat turned Kyoshi warrior replied.

"So when do we eat, I'm starving?" Sokka asked forwardly and Suki face palmed.

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A.N. So, what'd ya think? I'd appreciate any thoughts you have!


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